There are a number of in-demand occupations in Canada that can qualify you for a category-based draw under Express Entry, and/or qualify your spouse for a spousal open work permit (SOWP).
If you qualify for a category-based draw, you’ll have a greater chance of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency (PR) through Express Entry.
Furthermore, only certain TEER 2 and TEER 3 occupations will allow your spouse to qualify for a spousal open work permit – if you are working in Canada on a certain type of work permit.
In this article, we review the latest official government data on job vacancies, so you can see which in-demand jobs can boost your chance of success in Express Entry, and (in the case of TEER 2 and TEER 3 occupations) which in-demand jobs provide for SOWP eligibility.
The figures presented in this article are from a Statistics Canada report published on June 26, 2025.
Canada’s three most in-demand sectors
The top three most in-demand sectors and industries in Canada as of April 2025, based on job vacancy rates published by Statistics Canada, are as follows:
- Health care and social assistance (4.1%);
- Accommodation and food services (4%); and
- Construction/trades (3.2%).
Vacancy rates in low-demand sectors are below 2%.
Category-based draws
You can increase your chances of receiving an ITA for Canadian PR if you qualify for a category-based draw.
To be considered for a category-based draw, you must have at least six months of full-time, continuous work experience in an eligible occupation.
Below are the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes eligible for category-based selection, aligned and organized by the sectors with the highest job vacancy rates.
Job vacancy sector 1: Health care and social assistance
The following occupations all fall under the health care and social services Express Entry category.
| Occupation | NOC code |
|---|---|
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 |
| Audiologists and speech language pathologists | 31112 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 |
| Chiropractors | 31201 |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 |
| Dentists | 31110 |
| Dieticians and nutritionists | 31121 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 |
| Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 |
| Occupational therapists | 31203 |
| Optometrists | 31111 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 |
| Physiotherapists | 31202 |
| Psychologists | 31200 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Social and community service workers | 42201 |
| Social workers | 41300 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 |
| Veterinarians | 31103 |
Job vacancy sector 2: Accommodation and food services
| Occupation | NOC code | Express Entry category |
|---|---|---|
| Butchers – retail and wholesale | 63201 | Agriculture and agri-food |
| Cooks | 63200 | Trades |
Job vacancy sector 3: Construction/trades
The following occupations all fall under the trades Express Entry category.
| Occupation | NOC code |
|---|---|
| Bricklayers | 72320 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 |
| Carpenters | 72310 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 |
| Construction estimators | 22303 |
| Construction managers | 70010 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services | 82021 |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 |
| Electrical mechanics | 72422 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Home building and renovation managers | 70011 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | 72999 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 |
| Plumbers | 72300 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
Spousal open work permits
Spouses and common-law partners of those working in TEER 0 or 1 occupations or select TEER 2 or 3 occupations (in certain in-demand sectors) may be eligible to apply for a spousal open work permit.
Two sectors with high job vacancy rates fall into eligible in-demand sectors to obtain a spousal work permit: health care and construction/trades.
Below are occupations and NOC codes for TEER 2 and 3 occupations that could correspond to the health care and construction/trades sectors.
Health care and social assistance
TEER 2 occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians | 32104 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 |
| Dental hygienists and dental therapists | 32111 |
| Dental technologists and technicians | 32112 |
| Denturists | 32110 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Medical sonographers | 32122 |
| Other medical technologists and technicians | 32129 |
| Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 32124 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 |
| Massage therapists | 32201 |
| Other practitioners of natural healing | 32209 |
TEER 3 occupations
| Occupation | NOC Code |
|---|---|
| Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 33100 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
| Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 33109 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 |
Construction/trades
TEER 2 occupations
| Occupation | NOC code |
|---|---|
| Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 72600 |
| Air traffic controllers and related occupations | 72601 |
| Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 |
| Appliance servicers and repairers | 72421 |
| Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators | 72411 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 |
| Boilermakers | 72103 |
| Bricklayers | 72320 |
| Cabinetmakers | 72311 |
| Carpenters | 72310 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 |
| Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades | 72013 |
| Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations | 72011 |
| Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews | 72021 |
| Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations | 72010 |
| Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades | 72020 |
| Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers | 72014 |
| Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades | 72012 |
| Crane operators | 72500 |
| Deck officers, water transport | 72602 |
| Electrical mechanics | 72422 |
| Electrical power line and cable workers | 72203 |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 |
| Elevator constructors and mechanics | 72406 |
| Engineer officers, water transport | 72603 |
| Gas fitters | 72302 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 |
| Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 72401 |
| Industrial electricians | 72201 |
| Insulators | 72321 |
| Ironworkers | 72105 |
| Machine fitters | 72405 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 |
| Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics | 72423 |
| Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics | 72420 |
| Other small engine and small equipment repairers | 72429 |
| Other technical trades and related occupations | 72999 |
| Plumbers | 72300 |
| Power system electricians | 72202 |
| Railway carmen/women | 72403 |
| Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators | 72604 |
| Sheet metal workers | 72102 |
| Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers | 72301 |
| Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters | 72104 |
| Supervisors, mail and message distribution occupations | 72025 |
| Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators | 72024 |
| Supervisors, printing and related occupations | 72022 |
| Supervisors, railway transport operations | 72023 |
| Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians | 72205 |
| Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers | 72204 |
| Tool and die makers | 72101 |
| Water well drillers | 72501 |
| Welders and related machine operators | 72106 |
TEER 3 occupations
| Occupation | NOC code |
|---|---|
| Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators | 73301 |
| Concrete finishers | 73100 |
| Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction | 73402 |
| Floor covering installers | 73113 |
| General building maintenance workers and building superintendents | 73201 |
| Glaziers | 73111 |
| Heavy equipment operators | 73400 |
| Other repairers and servicers | 73209 |
| Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | 73112 |
| Pest controllers and fumigators | 73202 |
| Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers | 73102 |
| Printing press operators | 73401 |
| Railway and yard locomotive engineers | 73310 |
| Railway conductors and brakemen/women | 73311 |
| Residential and commercial installers and servicers | 73200 |
| Roofers and shinglers | 73110 |
| Tilesetters | 73101 |
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 |
Spouses and common-law partners of those working in the accommodation and food services sector in TEER 2 or 3 occupations are not eligible for a spousal open work permit.
Federal focus on healthcare and trades workers for immigration
The Canada-wide need for more health care and construction workers has become particularly evident through federal and provincial immigration announcements, policies, draws, and more.
In February 2025, the federal government announced the 2025 Express Entry priority sectors, two of which align with industries experiencing the highest job vacancy rates: health care and construction/trades.
Thus far in 2025, there have been two health care and social services draws, in which a cumulative total of 1,000 ITAs were issued.
Many provinces are increasingly prioritizing health care and construction workers in their provincial immigration draws and tightening their Provincial Nominee Program and Atlantic Immigration Program to focus on these high-demand sectors.
During the February 2025 Express Entry category restructuring, the immigration department significantly expanded the trades category, adding 19 new eligible occupations.
In March, former immigration minister Marc Miller unveiled significant changes aimed at bolstering Canada’s construction sector, including that Canada would be admitting up to 14,000 foreign national construction workers into the country.
Job vacancy rates by province
A province’s job vacancy rate (JVR) indicates the percentage of positions that are currently unfilled relative to the overall demand for labour in that region.
As of April, the job vacancy rate was the highest in the following provinces.
| Province | Job vacancy rate |
|---|---|
| Manitoba | 3.3% |
| Saskatchewan | 3.3% |
| British Columbia | 3.1% |
| Quebec | 3.1% |
This data suggests that foreign nationals may have a better chance of securing a job in these provinces, especially within in-demand sectors.
Comparatively, the provinces with the lowest job vacancy rates are as follows:
| Province | Job vacancy rate |
|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2.1% |
| New Brunswick | 2.3% |
| Prince Edward Island | 2.5% |
| Ontario | 2.5% |
In provinces with a low JVR, employment opportunities may be less abundant, particularly in general or oversubscribed sectors.
Canada’s JVR in April of this year (2.8%) was the lowest it has been since October of 2017—when it was also 2.8%.
As of April, there were 3.1 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in Canada.
